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Vintage1966
Samba Member
Joined: July 17, 2017
Posts: 8
Location: Las Vegas
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 Posted: Sun Jul 23, 2017 7:57 am Post subject: Bug Appears to be wired for positive ground |
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| Thanks for the add. I have a 66 bug with a 72 DP 1776. The battery cables are throwing me off. It has positive red cable & terminal clamp from the body ground to battery & black wire from positive to starter. Is this a positive grounded bug? I have it hooked up now negative to ground & positive to starter. It runs & lights, horn work but my generator light is on. Would the bug still start & work if the battery was hooked up backwards? It's been sitting for 2 years, I didn't get to take the old battery out. Old owner doesn't know about it |
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vwjetboat
Samba Member
Joined: May 11, 2017
Posts: 1732
Location: Florida
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| Posted: Sun Jul 23, 2017 9:11 am Post subject: Re: Bug Appears to be wired for positive ground |
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| ignore the color of the wires.. no its not a positive ground bug.. someone bought cheap cables.. |
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Vintage1966
Samba Member
Joined: July 17, 2017
Posts: 8
Location: Las Vegas
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| Posted: Sun Jul 23, 2017 9:49 am Post subject: Re: Bug Appears to be wired for positive ground |
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| vwjetboat wrote: |
| ignore the color of the wires.. no its not a positive ground bug.. someone bought cheap cables.. |
Thank you |
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67rustavenger 
Samba Member
Joined: February 24, 2015
Posts: 9772
Location: Oregon
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| Posted: Sun Jul 23, 2017 11:58 am Post subject: Re: Bug Appears to be wired for positive ground |
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Ok now I'm confused.
Was the negative wire from the battery connected to the starter and the positive cable from the battery connected to the body of the car? If so, it was setup positive ground. It's been done before.
vwjetboat - He has a gen light illuminated on the dash on indicating it's not charging.
_________________
I have learned over the years.
Cheap parts are gonna disappoint you.
Buy Once, Cry Once!
There's never enough time to do it right the first time. But there's always enough time to do it thrice.
GFY's Xevin and VW_Jimbo! |
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DuaneL
Samba Member
Joined: February 02, 2012
Posts: 511
Location: Spokane WA
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| Posted: Sun Jul 23, 2017 1:05 pm Post subject: Re: Bug Appears to be wired for positive ground |
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this has come up a lot in the forums, but when some one does reverse the polarity of the bug it usually fries the voltage regulator. so replace vr maybe polarize the generator and you are good to go (and yes the bug would still start & work if the battery was hooked up backwards)
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1971 std bug, 1776, ACN Super Stock 34-3, dvda dist, 27x8.50 14 tires |
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scottyrocks
Samba Member
Joined: August 19, 2016
Posts: 2666
Location: Long Island, NY
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| Posted: Sun Jul 23, 2017 2:14 pm Post subject: Re: Bug Appears to be wired for positive ground |
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| Vintage1966 wrote: |
| Thanks for the add. I have a 66 bug with a 72 DP 1776. The battery cables are throwing me off. It has positive red cable & terminal clamp from the body ground to battery & black wire from positive to starter. Is this a positive grounded bug? I have it hooked up now negative to ground & positive to starter. It runs & lights, horn work but my generator light is on. Would the bug still start & work if the battery was hooked up backwards? It's been sitting for 2 years, I didn't get to take the old battery out. Old owner doesn't know about it |
Any color wire from positive battery terminal to starter is normal (negative ground).
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“If you care for a thing long enough, it takes on a life of its own, doesn't it? Mending old things, preserving them, looking after them – on some level there's no rational grounds for it.”
– D. Tartt, 'The Goldfinch' |
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gt1953
Samba Member
Joined: May 08, 2002
Posts: 13848
Location: White Mountains Arizona
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| Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2017 6:49 am Post subject: Re: Bug Appears to be wired for positive ground |
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What does the volt meter tell you when connected??
_________________
Volkswagen: We tune what we drive.
Numbers Matching VW's are getting harder to find. Source out the most Stock vehicle and keep that way. You will be glad you did.
72 type 1
72 Squareback
({59 Euro bug, 62, 63, 67, 68, 69, 73 type ones 68 & 69 type two, 68 Ghia all sold}) |
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Vintage1966
Samba Member
Joined: July 17, 2017
Posts: 8
Location: Las Vegas
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| Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2017 10:57 pm Post subject: Re: Bug Appears to be wired for positive ground |
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| gt1953 wrote: |
| What does the volt meter tell you when connected?? |
i don't own a volt meter yet. The wires were colored & set up positive ground & negative starter. I thought they must have used what they had so I hooked it up negative body & positive to starter. It starts & runs but have gen light on. No generator it's 12v / alternator.
. I tried to search forum but couldn't find an answe, sorry for duplicate questions
Wasn't sure if it would be obvious if it was hooked up backwards without actually doing it & messing anything up. |
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Slow 1200
Samba Member
Joined: July 02, 2004
Posts: 2106
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| Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2017 4:53 am Post subject: Re: Bug Appears to be wired for positive ground |
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| for future reference, ground cables are brown on a vw, black are ignition-switched positive |
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nsracing
Samba Member
Joined: November 16, 2003
Posts: 9481
Location: NOVA
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| Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2017 3:36 am Post subject: Re: Bug Appears to be wired for positive ground |
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| Positive ground? WTF - |
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